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Sauron, the Necromancer

Sauron, the Necromancer

Legendary Creature — Avatar Horror

Sauron wants a deck that copies the best creature on the table. It also suits a deck that makes an army of small creatures and attacks with all of them.

  • Mana cost3 genericblackblack
  • Black ()
  • Power / toughness4 / 4
  • RarityRare

Menace

Whenever Sauron attacks, exile target creature card from your graveyard. Create a tapped and attacking token that's a copy of that card, except it's a 3/3 black Wraith with menace. At the beginning of the next end step, exile that token unless Sauron is your Ring-bearer.

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Archetypes

Cards That Fit Sauron, the Necromancer

Picked for what they do in Sauron's deck. When two cards do the same job, the one with the lower comes first. All of them fit Sauron's color identity.Mana ValueThe total amount of mana a card costs, all added up. A card costing two generic and one green has a mana value of three. Wizards renamed this from "converted mana cost" in 2021, so older cards and articles may still use the old name.Sol RingOpen the full glossary

plan6

The 6 Cards

plan6

The 6 Cards

plan6

The 6 Cards

Rulings for Sauron, the Necromancer

explain how Sauron works in tricky situations. They come from Wizards of the Coast, the company that makes Magic.RulingThe official answer to how a card works in a tricky situation. Most rulings are written by Wizards of the Coast, the company that makes Magic, and a few are notes from Scryfall, the card database Magic players use. A ruling explains a card. It does not change what the card says.Open the full glossary

Wizards of the Coast 16 Jun 2023

If the card copied by the token had any "when [this permanent] enters the battlefield" abilities, then the token also has those abilities and will trigger them when it's created. Similarly, any "as [this permanent] enters the battlefield" or "[this permanent] enters the battlefield with" abilities that the token has copied will also work.

Wizards of the Coast 16 Jun 2023

If the exiled card has {X} in its mana cost, X is 0.

Wizards of the Coast 16 Jun 2023

The delayed triggered ability will exile the token at the beginning of your next end step unless Sauron, the Necromancer is your Ring-bearer at the time that the ability resolves. If Sauron, the Necromancer leaves the battlefield before the delayed triggered ability resolves, that ability will exile the token, even if Sauron, the Necromancer later returns to the battlefield or you control another copy of Sauron, the Necromancer as your Ring-bearer.

Wizards of the Coast 16 Jun 2023

The token copies exactly what was printed on the original card and nothing else, except the characteristics it specifically modifies. It doesn't copy any information about the object the card was before it was put into your graveyard.

Wizards of the Coast 16 Jun 2023

The token is a Wraith instead of its other creature types (and other subtypes if it has any) and is black instead of its other colors. Its base power and toughness are 3/3. These are copiable values of the token that other effects may copy.

5 rulings, all written by Wizards of the Coast. Read the originals on Gatherer ↗

Similar Commanders

Commanders that share the most with Sauron, and what they share.

Color identityEvery color of mana symbol on a card, in its cost and in its rules text. Your commander's color identity sets the limit for your whole deck: every other card has to fit inside it. A deck led by a green and white commander cannot play a card with any blue in its color identity.Open the full glossaryBPlayers write colors as letters: B for black.ClonesClone decks copy the best creature on the battlefield, whoever owns it, so they always have one of the strongest things on the table. A copy also gets the original's 'when this enters' ability, so each clone can bring a fresh effect too.Open the Clones pageCloneCopies a creature or another permanent already on the battlefield. Copying the best thing on the table is often cheaper than casting something equally strong. Phyrexian Metamorph, Helm of the HostOpen the Clone pageToken EngineMakes tokens again and again rather than once. A token is a creature or other permanent created by a card, with no card of its own. Something that makes one token gives you a body; something that makes them every turn gives you a board you can keep rebuilding after it is cleared. Grave Titan, Bitterblossom, OphiomancerOpen the Token Engine pageTarget RemovalRemoves a single chosen permanent by destroying it, exiling it or returning it to its owner's hand, however big it is. It is the precise answer to one problem, as opposed to a board wipe that hits everything. Damage and -X/-X can miss a big creature, so they are Damage Removal and -X/-X Removal instead. Swords to Plowshares, Beast WithinOpen the Target Removal pageToken MakerCreates one or more tokens. Different cards make very different ones: creatures Grave Titan, Treasures Smothering Tithe, Clues Tireless Tracker or Food Gilded Goose. This is one of our largest tags, so pair it with an archetype or theme when you are hunting a specific kind.Open the Token Maker pageTokensToken decks fill the battlefield with small creatures made by their cards, then attack with all of them or make them all bigger at once. A token is a creature (or other object) that a card creates, not a card from your deck.Open the Tokens pageThe Ring Tempts YouWhenever the Ring tempts you, you choose one of your creatures as your Ring-bearer and the Ring gets stronger. It comes from Magic's Lord of the Rings cards, and the Ring gains up to four abilities.Open the The Ring Tempts You pageThe RingFrom the Lord of the Rings set. When "the Ring tempts you", you choose one of your creatures to be your Ring-bearer, and it gains new abilities. Each time the temptation happens, the Ring grows stronger.Open the The Ring page